It’s been two weeks since an investigation was launched into the unexplained disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard of Santa Barbara County.
Melodee was reported missing after administrators from the Lompoc Unified School District noted her prolonged absence, with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office initially reporting she hadn’t been seen or heard from in at least one year.
In the weeks that have followed, authorities have been able to confirm multiple sightings of Melodee, including from the School District itself, and at a Lompoc area car rental business. Security camera images released by the Sheriff’s Office from inside the car rental business are believed to be the first new images taken of Melodee in more than two years.
Despite national attention, the FBI joining the case, and a growing timeline into the days prior to the investigation’s launch, questions still remain about Melodee Buzzard, her family, and why it took so long for someone to notice her absence.
Through national and local reporting, local sources and family members, this is what we know about the case.
Who is Melodee Buzzard?
Melodee Buzzard is a 9-year-old girl who lived with her mother in Vandenberg Village, a small community in northern Santa Barbara County near Lompoc and the Space Force Base that shares its name.
At the time of her disappearance, Melodee lived with her mother at a home on the 500 block of Mars Avenue.
Melodee was reported missing on Oct. 14, and her disappearance has led to national headlines.
Who is Melodee’s mother?
Authorities have identified Melodee’s mother as Ashlee Buzzard. Since law enforcement began investigating Melodee’s whereabouts, Ashlee has reportedly been uncooperative and unable to provide a satisfactory answer to where her daughter is and if she is safe.
Little details about Ashlee are known, but family members have described the subpar conditions of the Vandenberg Village home where she and Melodee lived.
KSBY, a television station in San Luis Obispo County, spoke with Ashlee Buzzard’s mother, who described their home years earlier as being in “disarray,” with rotten food in the refrigerator, and said her daughter’s mental health was failing and she was in need of professional help.
“Everybody’s dragging [Ashlee] around,” Lori Miranda, Ashlee Buzzard’s mother told KSBY. “She should be at the hospital, and you should be talking to her there instead of everybody rattling her cage and then trying to act like they’re trying to help.”
Miranda told the station she hasn’t seen or heard from her daughter in more than two years.
Where is Melodee’s father?
Rubiell Meza, Melodee’s father, died in a motorcycle crash in Santa Maria when she was about six months old.
Miranda says his death kickstarted her daughter’s mental health spiral. Meza’s sister, Melodee’s paternal aunt, told KEYT in Santa Barbara that it also spurred years of custody drama.
“[Ashlee] hasn’t let us see [Melodee] for a few years,” Bridgett Truitt, Melodee’s aunt, told KEYT. “And all of us have tried. But we never stopped thinking about her or loving her or praying for her.”
Another aunt on Meza’s side told the Santa Maria Times that they hadn’t seen Melodee in at least four years, and described Ashlee as “extremely mentally unstable.”
Why did it take so long to notice she was missing?
Melodee was reported missing by the Lompoc Unified School District after noting her “prolonged absence.”
Sheriff’s officials confirmed that Melodee was home-schooled, not attending everyday classes in person, which could explain why it took a while before her absences were reported to law enforcement.
Although initially reported that she hadn’t been seen in nearly a year, School District officials later clarified that she had actually been seen in August, when she and her mother went to Mission Valley Independent Study School to register for the school year.
According to the school’s website, instruction through that program takes place through a combination of online work, parent-supported learning at home, and regular one-on-one teacher meetings. The curriculum is meant to be flexible, in hopes of keeping students with specific learning needs motivated and engaged, but some in the education world say this setup could explain why it may have taken a bit longer to suspect something was amiss as an absence might not be noticed until after an assignment is due, which could be as long as a month out from the time it was assigned.
Santa Barbara County news outlet Noozhawk reports that if a student in this independent study program fails to pick up assignments, they are referred back to the school they would normally be enrolled in.
“If the student doesn’t start attending classes, the school launches mandatory truancy procedures, including phone calls, letters, emails and home visits,” Noozhawk writes. If the student or parent can’t be reached, the school will request a welfare check and, eventually, a missing person case may be launched.
Where did Ashlee take Melodee?
In the days before Melodee was reported missing and a law enforcement investigation was launched, Ashlee rented a Chevrolet Malibu from a local business and embarked on a cross-country journey.
When Ashlee picked up the vehicle on Oct. 7, a young girl was seen in security footage wearing a gray sweatshirt with her hood up, covering a head full of straight, black hair. Investigators believe the girl in the photos is Melodee, and she may have been wearing a wig to conceal her identity, as previous images show her with brown, curly hair. Investigators noted that Ashlee is known to wear wigs.
Investigators believe Ashlee took Melodee out of Lompoc. They’ve confirmed that Ashlee and the rental car traveled as far west as Nebraska, and drove through Kansas on the return trip.
When Ashlee returned home, Melodee was not with her, officials said. It’s unclear when or where the two were separated, and due to Ashlee being uncooperative with detectives, that remains the key focus for investigators trying to recreate a timeline of the girl’s disappearance.
Why hasn’t Ashlee Buzzard been arrested?
While Melodee’s mother remains a primary figure in the investigation, authorities have not accused her of any crime.
Being uncooperative with an investigation typically is not a crime, as citizens have constitutionally protected rights that grant them the ability to remain silent. California law also dictates that it is not a crime to refuse to assist a police officer. A person could be subpoenaed to provide a statement, which could potentially lead to obstruction charges if they refuse.
But at this time, it appears that investigators simply do not know enough to be sure that Ashlee Buzzard has committed a crime that would warrant her arrest.
What’s the status of the investigation?
Because Ashlee and Melodee are believed to have traveled across state lines, the FBI has been added to the investigation and is providing assistance with local law enforcement.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate leads, but to protect the integrity of ongoing police work, details are being released slowly.
The FBI has put out a missing person poster on its website and social media platforms, and the Sheriff’s Office continues to refine its timeline of events in Melodee’s disappearance.
Sheriff Bill Brown has urged concerned citizens, many whom have congregated outside the Buzzard family home to demand answers, to allow professional detectives and investigators to do their work unimpeded.
Well-intentioned amateur sleuths have been a growing concern for law enforcement agencies across the globe, oftentimes complicating or disrupting active investigative work.
Brown urged the public not to attempt to conduct their own “searches or investigations,” and instead encouraged them to share “factual information directly with detectives,” which he says is the most effective way to help.
Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 805-681-4150. Anonymous tips can be provided online or by calling 805-681-4171.
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